How To Live As A Writer In A Fantasy World-Chapter 406: Shock and Awe (2)

The 29th volume of Zenon’s Chronicle delivered shock and horror to countless readers.

If the ending of Volume 27 had driven a nail into the emerging hope, then Volume 29 smashed it entirely with a hammer.

Already shaken by the unrest caused by someone’s instigation, the readers’ unease was sealed with a clear stamp of confirmation.

Naturally, those rooting for the Jin-Lily couple reacted with intense emotions, almost akin to spitting blood.

[A reader who finished the conclusion tore the book apart, wailing that such an ending was unforgivable…]

Some were filled with anger.

[No one but a devil worshiper could craft such a development. Zenon and the publishers must re-evaluate this…]

Some fell into denial.

[Looking back at the path Jin has walked so far, it makes sense, but it still feels lacking. More definitive descriptions are needed…]

Some evaluated it calmly.

[At most, I thought Jin would be severely injured by the demon worshipers.

But who could’ve predicted this kind of ending? It’s a development worse than the devils themselves.]

Others resorted to criticism.

[If either Zenon or Jin dies in the next volume, I’ll burn all the Zenon’s Chronicle volumes I’ve collected.]

Some even made absurd threats.

While the reactions varied, most couldn’t escape the shock.

In fact, the series had already featured numerous tragedies.

First, Sakran, who dedicated his entire life to the demons. His sacrifice became the foundation for spreading the demons’ noble virtues.

Second, the love between Kair and Elisha, hindered by the limits of their lifespans.

Their unattainable love inspired courage in many.

Third, Jin’s torment at the hands of Gluttony.

This hit even harder, as a side story had recently depicted Jin and Lily’s affectionate past.

Additionally, the tragic backstories of Wrath, Lust, and Envy were unveiled, etching their actions vividly in the readers’ minds.

These tragedies stirred waves of complex emotions, leaving a lasting impression—commonly referred to as “aftershock.”

Despite this already despair-filled storyline, something added to the readers’ agony:

[Jin awakened after being attacked by Gluttony before. Won’t it be similar this time?]

[Not at all. Last time, he was fine, but now he has absorbed Diabolos’ soul. He’ll inevitably sacrifice himself for Lily.]

[Did he really have to consume the body with Diabolos’ soul to absorb it?]

[That’ll likely be addressed in the next volume. But whether Jin lives or dies…]

There is a faint glimmer of hope.

Jin had previously been impaled by Gluttony and barely survived through awakening.

Readers are desperately clinging to the fragile hope that this development might follow a similar path.

They argue that separating the couple after such a heartfelt story is something only a devil would do and insist that they must reunite.

Yet, aside from this hope, the foreshadowing scattered throughout the story is being retrieved one by one.

[Jin has always been ready to sacrifice himself for Lily.]

[Even if it means becoming the vilest darkness, his love and loyalty are to protect the brightest light.]

[With a wedge driven into Lily’s heart, this ending was inevitable.]

[To push the work’s completion to its peak, Jin’s death is necessary.]

Separate from the popularity of Zenon’s Chronicle, critics who evaluated the work objectively argued that Jin had to die for the story’s sake.

Ironically, critics, who were typically unpopular among readers, gained unexpected recognition.

This was because critics had been relentlessly critical even when Zenon’s Chronicle first gained traction.

Considering most critics are established authors or philosophers, their stance was understandable.

But even this changed drastically as the unpredictable developments piled up.

Readers began to accept their evaluations as though they were prophets or seers.

[The ending of Volume 29 raises concerns that events directly involving Zenon will stagnate…]

[Crowds of despairing readers have flooded the Michelle estate and the publisher’s office. Unfortunately, Zenon is currently resting at the academy…]

[Zenon has yet to express any stance on the matter.]

Thus, those who read Zenon’s Chronicle are now struggling amidst chaos.

A mix of emotions has even led to unprecedented phenomena.

[Readers clutching at even the faintest glimmer of hope are begging. Scholars are calling this phenomenon a new term: ‘hope torture.’]

Interestingly, Isaac found this term familiar.

Had he read about it in the newspapers, he would’ve laughed.

While most people were reeling from the shock and fear of Volume 29’s ending, one of Isaac’s acquaintances…

“It’s clear they must be from the future. Otherwise, how could anyone come up with such a despair-inducing development?”

His lover, Cecily, seemed rather satisfied with the ending.

She closed the book with a bewitching smile, leaned back in her chair, and slowly closed her eyes to imagine the conclusion.

A gray desert littered with corpses, as if devoured by beasts, with Zenon staring in horror.

Step by step, following bloody footprints, a completely changed Jin appeared before him.

Jin’s body, bloated from Diabolos’ soul, bore traces of demon worshipers’ flesh and blood still clinging to his mouth.

All of this is for Lily’s complete recovery. What a devoted knight.

‘I’ve encountered countless tragedies so far… but this is a first.’

Cecily wasn’t just referring to the tragedies included in Zenon’s Chronicles. Her exact age is 106.

Before Zenon’s Chronicles came into existence, she had encountered every tragedy that a demon could face.

Of course, it wasn’t from direct experience. As royalty, she was exposed to numerous rumors around her, which made it possible.

There were stories of demons who went on journeys but became devils due to unfortunate incidents and were subsequently hunted down, or of those betrayed by trusted individuals simply for being demons. Ŗ𝐚𐌽Ó𝐁Еŝ

Even more heartbreaking were tales of losing loved ones right before their eyes just because they were demons.

She had encountered countless such tragedies, but compared to the ending of Volume 29, they were nothing more than a drop in the ocean.

What was more malicious was the lingering sense of uncertainty.

If only the plotline about Jin being devoured by Gluttony and resurrecting hadn’t existed, people would have firmly believed that Jin had died for sure.

But because that hope was planted in advance, readers were repeatedly dragged through waves of hope and despair.

‘And you’re telling me he’s not a time traveler? That doesn’t make sense. No way.’

Without having seen or experienced such despair firsthand, it would be impossible to craft such a storyline.

Absolutely impossible.

She had already been convinced that Isaac came from another world—something akin to a parallel world.

This time, she was certain of it.

What kind of story will he unfold next? Just imagining it made Cecily’s heart race, and she hugged the book to her chest tightly.

She hugged it so strongly that her ample bosom was noticeably pressed, exuding an alluring charm just through her actions.

With all the stress piling up from purging the nobles connected to demon worshippers one by one and not having met Isaac recently, her suppressed desires were starting to build up.

‘Should I visit him? No, I should wait until the vacation. It’d be hard to meet him anyway since he’s in the royal palace now.’

Through Gartz’s report, she had already figured out that Isaac had fled to the royal palace.

He must have fled there to prepare for something like this. Last time, he escaped to Helium, so this much was predictable.

As Isaac’s mother and her future mother-in-law, Anna heading to the royal palace must have made him uneasy too.

In Helium’s case, Gartz had provided assistance, and it was more like a half-joke, but the royal palace would involve lengthy procedures.

‘When I meet him, I’ll have a serious conversation. And while I’m at it, I’ll ask him about the world he came from.’

She genuinely wanted to hear about his world.

What kind of place could produce such a tragic narrative?

At the same time, she was cautious.

If he had truly experienced all these tragedies, even if he appeared fine on the outside, his heart must be scarred in countless ways.

‘Could his tendency to surround himself with women also be because of this?’

Research suggests that interactions with the opposite sex warm the heart, so it wasn’t entirely nonsense.

With his abilities and strength, he could easily surround himself with numerous women, but in the end, it was his own choice.

“Sigh…”

Cecily let out an excited breath as she entertained countless thoughts about Isaac in her head.

Perhaps it was because her mating cycle was approaching, or maybe it was all the pent-up emotions, but just imagining it made her lower half feel damp.

Even though she inherited the blood of a succubus, she wondered if Isaac himself was an incubus.

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That would explain why he repeatedly stirred people’s hearts and, beyond that, even captivated women.

‘Of course, I’m just joking.’

If he were truly a demon, he wouldn’t be able to receive divine power in the first place.

It was just a metaphor.

Cecily quickly pushed aside the lust that was about to take over her mind.

She couldn’t do such things here, so she needed to maintain her composure.

Demons typically weren’t swayed by desires easily, so this much was manageable.

If Isaac had been in front of her, she might have succumbed to her desires, but fortunately, he wasn’t here.

Soon, she shook her head vigorously and gently placed Volume 29 of Zenon’s Chronicles on the desk.

Though she had taken a brief break, there was still a mountain of work left to do.

‘I can’t wait for the vacation to start. I need to release everything I’ve been holding back.’

Just like Cecily, there were others who ended up having delusions because of the ending of Volume 29.

“…How truly tragic. What kind of life have you lived?”

Arwen, who had a similar misunderstanding, genuinely felt sorry for Isaac.

As someone who firmly believed Isaac was a time traveler, she felt her heart ache just imagining him experiencing such an ending firsthand.

Still, separate from those feelings, she also wanted to see Isaac’s face, much like Cecily.

She sighed deeply, closed the book quietly, and looked out the window at the darkening sky.

“What kind of world must it be… to be filled with such tragedies? I’m truly glad this world isn’t like that.”

Arwen felt relief but also a deep sense of pity.

Finally…

“What do you think? The rumors we spread to manipulate people are starting to become reality.”

“…I didn’t expect this either. What a despicable bastard. I should take a lesson from him.”

“Can a demon worshipper say something like that? You’re the despicable ones.”

“We just have the numbers. In terms of intensity, we’re far behind this ending.”

Someone was genuinely impressed.